Aurora Magazine 2019

the court surgeon. So it was when Leopold informed Xavier that the child should be born early, or else both Juniper and the heir would die. So it still was when Xavier ordered that his wife was to give birth to the child immediately. And so it was when Juniper Alcoatl-Tjolfdin gave birth to a girl, Everly, on June the first, under the star of the Gemini. A twin. --- Xavier was troubled by the birth of his twin daughters. At the very first sight of them, he knew that they were perfect heirs, and he could not bring him - self to kill or exile either. Still, to have and raise twins when their very existence was banned for so many years would be hypocrisy to the highest degree - inexcusable, in the eyes of the people. So Xavier ordered his soldiers to scour the kingdom and her neigh - boring lands for someone, anyone, who could offer a solution. And so the soldiers searched, and eventually found the witch Marigold in the village Banterpier, who proposed a plan. “Bring me the children, and I shall attempt to fix their opposing nature. The one I divine to be the happiest, I shall send to Hell, land of demons and pain, to teach her suffering. She shall learn wisdom. The one I divine to be the saddest, I shall send to Heaven, to teach her love and happiness. She shall learn humil - ity. When the two are both seven years of age, I shall call them back from their homes and reunite them. They shall no longer be jealous and instead will harmonize.” It pained Xavier to think of separating his daughters from each other, and especially to send one to Hell, but he was terrified of the consequences of twins in Tjolfdin, and agreed. He left the babies with Marigold, and was off. But Marigold had not told him the fullest effect of Heav - en and Hell on the young girls, nor her full plan. As a witch of Banterpier, it was in her nature to deceive and to cause suffering for those around her. As such, she enchanted the girls with a spe - cial spell, which would end their seven years of purgatory with a 83